


RED

by orphan_account



Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner, mirrors edge - Fandom
Genre: Comedy, Hell, M/M, Mirrors edge, Slow Burn, going, newts, to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 23:18:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2791352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My forgetting will have meaning, and I promise you, I will save you..."</p><p> </p><p>A chain of mysterious memory wipes plagues a group of mysterious boys that live in a mysterious underground chamber they like to call the glade.</p><p>And if the over use of the term mysterious mystifies you, then perhaps you and the gladers are not that different after all.</p><p> </p><p>(Maze runner/mirrors edge)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Missing parts

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'd just like to thank all of you for giving this fic a chance it really means a lot. I got this idea when I first watched the movie, the runner reference always seemed to remind me of mirrors edge so I thought I'd give it a shot for my first fanfic, I hope you guys enjoy the first instalment, if you do  
> please please PLEASE comment below and give your first impression I would love to see what you guys think. Again thank you and please enjoy :)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> The song of the day is 'just a boy' covered by Daniela Andrade

 

Everything was cold, the constant assault of rain on his shoulders and bare neck sent wave after wave of full body shivers, causing his feet to occasionally slip on the window sill he was crouched on. He had been waiting patiently for an hour and a half for all the lights to go out, and another twenty minutes to be sure that all occupants of the flat were asleep. 

His strong grip held tight on the nearby water pipe that he had climbed four stories up to his current position, raindrops and tears of physical frustration slide mercilessly down his pale cheeks tracing his skin through his soaking shirt. He was surrounded by neon lights, cars and motorcycles below speeding into the artificially lit night. He couldn't understand why they wouldn't shut up and just go to bed like normal people. Moving further out of the crevasse he was wedged in, he crawls over to his target. 

With a skilful hand and pen knife, he wedges the blade into the latch of his chosen entrance, and jiggles his tool until the familiar clack was heard, an almost missable sound due to the unending pattering of stone cold rain drops. The window was small and rectangular, a rather pointless thing considering the flat was a city view penthouse suite, but convenient for him so no questions were asked. It opened into the flats kitchen if he was correct. 

Which he rarely wasn't. A perfectly placed entrance in his opinion, he did not want to have to look far to get what he wanted, not like the last house where the only outside entrance concealing his arrival was a dark vent, he had learned the hard way that fateful night that vents do not smell good, and also that going around in circles seemed to come naturally to him. He gently nudged the glass inwards as slowly as he could manage, he hadn't come this far just to be foolishly discovered because of his impatience. 

Once it had opened enough for him to slip through, he quietly sat on the ledge, legs hanging inside the apartment and lowered himself to the hardwood floor. It was expectedly dark, vibrant white flashes glinted off of the smooth surfaces of the appliances showing their pristine quality. The kitchen screamed of indulgent living, they must be so proud. 

Crouching low he swiftly made his way past the king sized dining table and towards the island separating the two halves of the room, the giant metal fridge loomed over his crouched form, teasing his self enforced restraint. His empty stomach growls. This was always his favourite moment, the moment when he could feel his well earned success in the form of cool metal grazing his seeking fingertips, the gradual heavenly glow pulsating from the inside as the door opened wider and wider. 

And then finally, the reveal. Mountains of fresh wholesome food, sandwich meats, cheeses of all kinds, and if he was lucky, some form of sweet, delectable chocolate. It was rare to come across chocolate in his line of work, as the whole city seemed to be obsessed with healthier living, he didn't even want to know what was in those green milkshakes that every health nut pedestrian was obsessed with. 

A slide of moisture drips down his chin, he hoped to God that it was from his saturated hair and not because he was drooling, how embarrassing. This steal would be the most satisfying yet, for weeks he had staked out this house, watching their daily routines, their schedules. 

The amount of children this couple had made it hard to find a time when they were all out during the day, so the dark of night when everyone was asleep in their bed was his only option, although the youngest was in a habit of aimlessly wondering around the house at midnight. He checked his watch, he still had a couple of hours before that crazy train went down. Pulling off his brown leather shoulder bag, he unzips it and carefully loads up the wide compartment, sorting messily through the stacks of meat to find some he didn't have to cook first, that was just tedious. 

He grabs a cheese block and a few carrots, a slight frown lowers his mood upon finding the fridge devoid of any kind of sweet snack. He shouldn't of gotten his hopes up. Once the bag was completely full he zips it up and throws it back over his shoulder. The fridge door closes as he quietly makes for his escape. Escaping was just as difficult as getting in, but with the added bonus of having your back turned, widening the chance of being jumped from behind. 

And that really wasn't fun. His warm brown eyes shift restlessly over the moving shadows, keeping his back up against the island he slows down his breathing, he could feel his heart rattling in his chest as a sharp spike of fear hits him, a rustle of thick fabric in the direction of the large city view window calms his nerves slightly, the shadows must have belonged to the curtains. 

Still crouching behind the island, he makes his way to the window he entered through, the window remained wedged open just as he left it. Puddles of steadily expanding water lay beneath, guess that blows his plan of having a clean break, maybe there was a mop nearby, no that's stupid forget the water. He reaches up his arms to the ledge to pull his body up and out, eventually leaning fully on his stomach. 

Suddenly a soft coil of flesh encases his mid air ankle, and pulls back on it with a sharp tug, his forearm slips from the edge and he falls, crashing hard against the sopping wood floor. The air in his lungs is forced out, leaving him choking on his saliva, a pained moan bursts through his lips, desperately trying to take another breath he struggles a little in the hold.

"Let go!" he rasps to his captor, the mans face cloaked in shadows, from what he could see the thin build of the darkened body was that of a young male, it must be one of the children, although he didn't recall any of them being over the age of nine, which this boy clearly was. 

A hand swoops down towards his face, roughly covering his mouth, the slightly ominous figure slams his other hand to the centre of his chest and pushes him flat on his back, he tries to kick his legs and throw the boy off but he was too quick, with the use of his own legs the attacker intertwines them locking their bodies together, the boy then pushes down his chest flush against the writhing body beneath. He flails helplessly under the body constricting his movements above him. 

After a few intense minutes he begrudgingly relents his struggle, in this position trapped on the floor by another body, he's not going anywhere. A tightening in his chest reminds him he needs air, he breathes roughly through his nose in harsh, quivering breaths.  
"Are you bloody finished?"  
His captor pants obviously exerted from their little tumble on the floor, his hot breath billowing around his face that was now a mere two inches away. His eyes dart frantically over the boys features, damp blond hair, large chocolate brown eyes, he definitely wasn't a family member.

He stops thinking and slowly nods his head, his eyes wide.  
The boy above him smirks. "Do you promise not to bloody scream, if I remove my hand?" He mulls over the request, deciding quickly that his cooperation was his best bet at surviving this, he nods as best he can, his eyes never straying from the ones above. Seemingly satisfied the blond carefully removes his palm, and instead places it beside his head on the damp floor. He doesn't move any further away.

"What's ya name shank?"  
The boy whispers, suddenly assaulted by a lurch in his gut and a sharp pain in the back of his neck, he flounders trying to bring back his speech. "Tho-Thomas" he says without thinking, he stares powerlessly at the blond boy, taking in the slow confidant smile that appeares smoothly on his face. "Ok Thomas, here's what's gonna happen, I'm gonna let go of you, slowly, and you're not gonna scream bloody murder, ok?" The blond tightens his fist in Thomas's shirt, staring him down. 

Thomas blinks back, not daring to say a word he nods his head in response. Their eyes continue to bore into their opposites with a shared wariness, the boy slowly removes his hand from Thomas's chest, and pushes himself up slightly using both arms. Thomas lies perfectly still as the blond pushes himself back on to his feet and stands. Thomas still feeling a little paranoid, carefully gives into his curiosity. Steadily leaning his weight up on to his elbows, he observes the boy in front of him. 

He was clothed in a cream over shirt that looked foreign in his eyes, there was nothing remotely like this sold anywhere in the city, his brown jeans had rips in them from God knows what, his hair drenched much like his own, drops of water falling from the blond strands onto the wet floor. Startling Thomas from his scrutiny, an outstretched hand catches his immediate attention, A pale arm that reaches out tentatively, his thin wrist donning a red wristband, it seemed out of place with the rest of his outfit. 

The boys long bony fingers twitch in a silent invitation. Thomas hesitates for a second, contemplating the consequences of putting his body's balance into this boys hands, despite himself he reaches out his arm to meet the blonds outstretched open palm. 

The boy smiles tightly and pulls Thomas up the rest of the way to his shaky feet, Thomas quickly lets go and takes a safe two steps back, the physical proximity was mind numbing in an odd way he couldn't fully comprehend. Thomas swallows down his smothering anxiety threatening to climb up his throat, the cause of his discomfort in question remained still, a firm stance that told Thomas he knew exactly what he was doing, whatever it was he was doing. He'd never been caught before, granted he hadn't been doing this for long, but he'd always been so careful, so thorough in his research, it never failed. 

Thomas wondered what this boy knew, just what exactly his purpose was here. Maybe the boy was here for the same reason he was, this sudden revelation must have had some effect on his facial features as the boy opposite him quirked his brow. Thomas looked to his feet, whatever was happening here it was starting to feel very awkward. 

He looked back to the boy, his gaze felt strong, like it was the only thing keeping Thomas from moving. "So, uh, are we just gonna stand here or.... what?" Thomas stammers out, for some reason he felt he had no control over this situation at all, this boy was clearly not a part of this house hold, he must have come in from outside same as Thomas, seeing as his clothes were drenched just as much as His own, so it's not like he'd call the police, they were committing the same crime. 

And yet he felt he would get into trouble if he tried to escape again. The boy cocks his head to the side and squints his eyes at Thomas, seeming to seriously consider his following answer. "Im waiting for someone" he speaks in a normal register, a slight twinge in his pronunciation offers some information on the boy, he wasn't from around here, should have picked that up from his clothing choices. Thomas shuffles his feet and looks towards the still ajar window.

"Can I go then? cause I've got no idea what the hell you're doing here but I'm sure it's out of my league, and uh.... I got stuff to do" Thomas shifts his gaze from the boy to the floor and back again, the boy in question doesn't bat an eye. Thomas gapes a little at how blatantly ignored he was. He looks to his watch, 11:50 it read in neon green. This was some kind of set up, the boy knew the girl was gonna come out and discover them, but that made no sense as he would be in trouble too, oh my god he's a radical, he gets off on danger, Thomas scrunches his nose at that thought, the blond snickers quietly. 

Thomas startled by the almost happy noise looks up at the boy, he is greeted with a furrowed brow and a slight quirk at the corner of his mouth.  
"Calm down would ya? you're gonna be fine" The supposedly reassuring comment did not reassure Thomas at all. Maybe the boy didn't know.  
"Uh, I'm not sure if you already know this or not, but uh... one of the kids comes out at like midnight every night... so uh.. if your plan is not to get caught, I suggest we move this along, not that I care or anything, I just uh... don't wanna go to prison... haha, weird right, I'm sure prisons great fun.." He waited a beat for some kind of response. 

Nothing. 

Not even a 'shut the hell up' for his troubles. Thomas felt so awkward, he did not imagine getting caught would be quite like this, he was prepared for running away, maybe a punch up here and there, at least a good story to tell the grandkids, but this was just plain weird. No one would believe the crazy old man saying he got held up by a boy his own age, and all he did was stand there like an idiot waiting to be caught. A far away creak broke the heavy silence, Thomas jolted where he stood, his eyes wide with fear. 

"Geez about time am I right Tommy?" the blond smirked cruelly at Thomas, he was so going to hell for this. He could hear small footsteps coming closer from down the hall, little patters from tiny feet belonging to a six year old girl, Thomas made a snap decision and jumped behind the island counter out of sight of the hallway entrance. He heard a soft chuckle come from the concealed boy, Thomas could imagine him shaking his head in disbelief, what a tool.

The footsteps stopped suddenly, she must have seen the intruder, crap this is bad, this is really bad. Thomas's heart was beating like a train, he stared helplessly at the fridge in front of him seeing the reflection of a frightened man. The lights had been switched on.  
He heard no screams, no falling objects no crying, nothing. Maybe he killed her oh my god he really was radical, a radical that got off on danger and killing oh shit he was next wasn't he oh shit. Thomas panicked behind the counter, getting himself deeper and deeper into his own crazy thoughts.

"Newt!"

The happy squeal of the girl startled Thomas out of his attack, his fear gradually dissipating into that of plain confusion.  
"Hey there little one, I swear you've gotten bigger since I last came to visit"  
Little one? Thomas took a deep breath and slowly peaked around the corner, it didn't sound like anything murderous was happening, he looked up to see the blond gently holding the ginger girl, both of them grinning like there was no tomorrow. 

The girls bright blue eyes spot him on the floor, her sweet gaze narrows at the sight of him. "who's that?" she points her freckled finger at Thomas, Thomas shifts his eyes awkwardly, he never knew being the third wheel could be so humiliating and dangerous at the same time. "Don't mind him he's harmless, he's just got a thing for making memorable first impressions" Thomas gapes at newt, he was certainly one to talk about memorable first impressions. The girl looks back at newt and shrugs her shoulders, she taps the blond on the shoulder and he places her on the ground, the ginger steps quietly over to Thomas sprawled on the floor, and pulls out from under her arm a large brown envelope. 

"This is for you" she says sweetly, holding out the envelope towards his face. Thomas blinks absently at the girl, not knowing if he should take it or deny any relation to the boy that was previously instated. Although if he did that then he would be the only intruder, and that didn't sit well at all. Thomas sits up from the floor in a cross legged position and slowly takes the package from the waiting child. 

"Th-thank you" The girl rolls her eyes maturely and turns back to Newt.  
"Are you sure he's with you? he's a bit lame" Newt chuckles lightly at first, and then after seeing the offended expression on Thomas's face it spurs on another bout of giggles. "Yeah yeah, I'm sure" Newt says through his projected amusement. The blond walks confidently over to Thomas and lightly grabs his arm pulling him up off the ground, he then takes the brown envelope from his slack hands and tucks it away into his own leather bag. 

"Alright little one we better be off, tell your parents not to worry all right?" Newt speaks fondly to the girl, ruffling her hair affectionately. The ginger grins and brushes his hand away. "Yes, but come more often I miss you ok?" Newt smiles gently and nods. "I'll come whenever I can, I promise" Thomas starts to feel like the third wheel again, at least his chances of getting out of here without a scratch was seeming more and more possible, he looks away from the heart warming scene and towards the window instead, the rain had slowed to a light drizzle which was good, he couldn't afford to get pneumonia again. 

A hand on his shoulder brings him back to see a smiling Newt, which in itself felt odd that something so bright was directed solely at him.  
"Time to go, yeah?" The blond looked on expectedly, expanding Thomas's uncomfortableness effortlessly. "Uh.. yeah, s-sure that's an... idea" Thomas curses himself for being so awkward, a curse he does not get to complete because as soon as the words leave his mouth he is pulled roughly towards the window by that bony persistent hand.  
He quickly looks behind him to see the girl walking back down the hall, as if nothing's happened. 

Thomas wished he could do that. He turns back to catch Newt's feet slip through the window, a beckoning hand appears searching for contact. Thomas sighs, there weren't really any other options, but he still couldn't trust him, that was a given.  
He grabs Newt's hand and with a helping pull he scrambles up and out of the window. Once out, he spots the boy crouching nearby looking out over the illuminated city, a soft orange glow extenuating his sharp features. He looked strangely peaceful staring out at the nocturnal city below.  
With an unexpected jump the boy disappears.  
Thomas panics instantly following his downward decent, the darkness below held no sign of the daredevil. Feeling his chest tighten Thomas frantically darts his eyes around in the dark, a long whistle grabs his attention, he looks up to see a lone figure on top of a rooftop close enough to his ledge that he must have missed it, a smug looking blond boy perched a top one of its vents with a teasing glint in his dark eyes. 

He was absolutely going to hell. 

Feeling a slight sense of adventure at the turn of events, he jumps off the ledge and onto the building in the same manner. A slow clap has him chuckling softly, looking to the sound he spots a mischievous glint in the boys eyes, an expression all but knew to him, but one that looked so fitting on his face.  
"I see you know how to jump Tommy, but do you know how to run?" the challenging inquiry stirred something deep in Thomas's chest, a foreign feeling and yet some what familiar. 

He could feel a grin spreading on his face.  
"I was born to run" he says feeling the first shred of confidence since he met this strange boy. 

Newt nods in affirmation, scuffing his boots on the dirty cement, he looks Thomas in the eyes.  
"Prove it"  
With one quick wink the blond takes off across the roof, taking Thomas by surprise.  
The shock doesn't last long and is soon replaced with a burning desire to catch the blond boy, he takes off after him following the path and steadily gaining in speed, he clears a few consecutive skylights in one bound and dodges a black cat. He catches sight of strawberry blond hair ducking past a wall, ignoring the corner he sprints straight to the wall and vaults right over the top, he drops down centimetres in front of the blond escape artist. 

A startled yell bursts from the boy as he halts, Thomas grins in his triumph. A harsh cackling then breaks from Newt as he continues running past Thomas as fast as he can. "Hey! stop I caught you!" Thomas yells over the wind in outrage, the loud cackling continues drifting in the cold wind. Thomas sprints down the edge of the building following the unattractive snorts and guffaws, he ran down stairs and jumped between roof tops, the boy just kept going and going. He could just see the red of his wristband and the golden glow of his hair, the boy turned yet another corner eliciting a tired moan from Thomas's dry lips. 

Turning the corner he stops abruptly tripping over his foot and face planting onto the cement.  
A soft chuckle beside him hurts his ears, he wasn't having fun anymore.  
A hand on his arm rolls him over onto his back, he groans in pain and mild embarrassment, upon opening his eyes he is greeted with a blurry close up of the blonds face with an expression of concern or constipation he couldn't really tell. 

"Are you alright?" a soft voice floats down gently to his burning ears, he nods even though he's not sure if he is. Thomas sits up and rubs his eyes, being carful not to irritate the small cuts and blossoming bruises.  
"Wh-where are we?" his voice cracks slightly due to misuse, he pushes himself up to his feet, a warm hand resting on his back with the promise of assistance if needed, he straightens his back and turns to the boy. 

Newt smiles and points to a round door some what like a submarine entrance embedded into a wall.  
"My house" he states calmly.  
Thomas blinks absently, his house, but why? he was a criminal you don't bring criminals to your house, although Newt didn't seem like he was on the right side of the law either, but that was no excuse, and besides he barely knew the guy, this could be how he kidnaps people, he charms them and leads them to his house and chains them to the walls.  
No that's just insane, the chains were probably on the floor. 

A coughing sound brings Thomas out of his thoughts, the blond looks him over curiously.  
"I've got some friends I'd like you to meet, don't worry ok you're gonna be fine" He smiles reassuringly. "Is that ok?" he's asking if it's ok to meet his friends, is it ok? it would be so awkward if he said no, and there was no way he was going through that excruciating event again. 

Thomas nods slowly, swallowing in a nervous habit. Newt nods and walks to the door, turning the large wheel to the left in three full turns, the door squeaks as its pulled open and Newt steps inside, looking back at Thomas still standing where he left him. 

"Y'know it's fine if you don't want to, I just figured you had no where else to go" 

The clear confession hits Thomas like a brick, he had no place to go.  
Thomas smiles wearily back at Newt, he slowly steps over the threshold and into the small compartment, a red panic light glows brightly from high on the wall, tinting every inch of the room.  
"They're down here" After shutting the round door with a heavy bang Newt opens an average sized black door that reveals a winding staircase, the blond descends first with Thomas trailing closely behind. 

It wasn't long before the claustrophobic stair space opens up to a very large underground basement. There were boys everywhere, at least thirty of them wandered around either eating food or chatting or even wrestling. Thomas was astonished, he'd never seen a place like this before in his life, but what caught his eye the most was the light blue paint on the walls and ceiling littered with white splotches he assumed were clouds. 

The sky hadn't looked like that in a while. 

A soft laugh garners his attention, the boy was laughing at him again. "Why do you keep laughing at me?" He questions seriously, he couldn't remember a time where he made someone laugh so much, and not because most of his life was a hazy blur.  
The blond smirks. "Your expressions are interesting".  
That didn't make Thomas feel any better, well not any better than being called lame by a nine year old girl did. 

A dark skinned boy about his age walks up to them from the skirmish, a curious glint in his eyes as he looks Thomas up and down.  
"who do we have here then Newt?" He looks to the blond, sparing Thomas his intense scrutiny. 

"Alby, meet Thomas, out last missing runner"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, please comment your thoughts whatever they may be :)


	2. Leap of faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I'm soooo sorry I took so long to write this yknow Christmas and everything but still, if anyone has tabbed this which I don't believe they have I'm so sorry, anyway here it is at last I hope you all enjoy :)
> 
>  
> 
> Song of the day "Bloodstream" by Seamless

"Last missing what now?"

The awe he'd had of his surroundings upon his arrival fades abruptly, his throat tightens as he scans the faces of the two boys, guilt and anger being the domineering theme.  
This was exactly what he needed, more toppings on the crazy cake.

The dark skinned boy looks to Newt, he crosses his arms and fixes him with an intimidating narrow of his dark brown eyes.  
"You didn't tell him a thing before bringing him here did you?"  
Newt shuffles his feet, stepping subtly closer and closer to Thomas.  
"I was planning to, I just didn't want to scare him off is all"  
The blond looks up at Alby slowly, breaking the staring contest he and the floor were engaged in.   
He was pulling the innocent card, Thomas had seen this look a million times, but he couldn't recall from where.  
He hadn't known this boy for any longer than an hour but this diversion strategy seemed to be a regular occurrence. 

The darkening of Albys expression clued him in on just how regular it was.  
"Newt! I've told you so many times not to just bring people in anymore! Do you want there to be another incident?!" Alby growls out, flicking his eyes from Newt to Thomas and back again,   
this whole experience   
Was just getting stranger by the minute, but he had to admit he was intrigued.

Thomas leans slowly over to Newt, keeping an eye on the brooding character in front of him.  
"What incident?"  
He whispers casually into his ear.  
The blond glances at Thomas and then just as quick back to Alby, their eyes hold a silent intense conversation.  
Thomas shuffles on the spot feeling much like a third wheel once again, but this time he was ok with it, he did not want to know what it meant when the bulky boy flared his nostrils.  
After a time Alby sighs dramatically and rubs his head, as if he truly believed it would help him in any way.

Newt turns to Thomas's awaiting face.   
"This greenie I brought in thought I had taken him to an underground gay club and had an anxiety attack"  
He whispers back, a mask of embarrassment colouring his pale cheeks.

Thomas tries his hardest not to laugh, the dark look on the stern boys face making him choke back his outburst, a strangled grin screwing up his face in his efforts.  
He quickly calms himself to that of indifference.  
"Sounds reasonable" he says with a serious expression, Newt snorts out a laugh behind his hand trying to keep his cool.

Alby was not impressed.

"Okay Okay that's enough, other than the fact that he's just as shuck faced as you, what makes you think he's one of us?"  
Newt thought he was one of them? Thomas's face conveys that of pure confusion as the blond beside him looks him over thoughtfully.  
"He may not look like it but he can run like the wind, well, before he face planted" Newt smirked at his own teasing comment, despite Thomas's bashful demeanour Alby seemed begrudgingly satisfied.

"Alright Newt since you're sure, you know the deal, you found him he's your responsibility for the first week, I've got some stuff I need to attend to"  
He looks to his watch as he speaks.  
Newt nods swiftly and reaches for Thomas's arm, gripping it softly.  
The dark boy looks Newt in the eye, demanding his attention.  
"Did you get the package from the crows nest?"  
Newt jumps as if he'd forgotten all about it, Thomas certainly hadn't.  
The blond quickly opens his leather bag and pulls out the thick brown envelope that was handed to them by the young ginger.  
"Here, Lacy's doin' well, if you're wondering"  
Alby takes the package and shoves it under his arm.  
"Yeah? She would be wouldn't she, you're the favourite ya lucky shank"  
Newt chuckles, a smug grin plastered on his face. Thomas thinks back to the scene in the kitchen, the little girl did seem very fond of Newt.  
Guess that was why she was wandering the house every night like clockwork, she had been waiting for him.

Alby starts to walk backwards slowly, separating himself from the duo in a few small steps.   
"Don't tell him anything he doesn't need to know, we still got rules here alright?"  
He says quickly, keeping an eye on Thomas's subtle movements, the obvious scrutiny was making him uncomfortable, but what was new there.  
Newt nods a second time, returning his grip on Thomas's arm.

"Will do captain"  
The blond reenacts a soldier salute, a small smirk lifting the corners of his mouth.   
Alby looks him up and down, trying to determine the nature of the act.  
"Good" he turns away and walks strongly towards one of the four open doorways.

Newt sends a quick smile Thomas's way, then promptly drags him to the right. They traipse through groups conversing by the light of the fire, Thomas receives the occasional pat on the back and congratulations on coming home.   
It was strange, he couldn't remember a time when he had a home, which was either really sad or his memory was terrible.  
Unfortunately the later was starting to feel more and more likely.

They walk in silence down a short hallway, once they reach the end, it opens up into a windowless mid sized sleeping area, the only light was from an old miners lamp hanging from the centre of the room.   
An assortment of hammocks that hung from the ceiling and thin mattresses placed on the floor filled the room completely. 

"Unfortunately there are only hammocks left for you to take, but you'll get used to it"   
The soft tone of Newts voice broke the comfortable silence, Thomas turns to see him walking towards a blue hammock.  
"You like blue right?"  
He turns to Thomas, a plain expression on his face. He assumed he was referring to the colour choice of his long sleeved shirt as a reference, which hadn't at all been the reason he wore it but Thomas nods none the less, he steps slowly to the hammock and stands beside the blond.  
He'd been promised answers and he was sure as hell going to get them.

"Newt?"  
He starts, the boy in question nods in understanding, he sits down on the hammock and gestures for Thomas to follow.   
There wasn't much light in the room, so the only thing stopping him from falling over were his wits and a helping hand from a trickster with a cruel sense of humour, his odds looked bleak.

Eventually he sits down next to the blond on the shaky hammock, he couldn't imagine anyone having a good nights sleep on one of these, guess he'd figure out how soon enough.  
"Ok tommy, ask me anything and I'll answer if I can"  
The two face each other, leaning back on either side of the hammock, their legs intertwined slightly to fit, with the exception of one hanging off of the side. Their shoes graze the carpeted floor beneath with the movement of the bed.

"What is this place?"

He starts with the most obvious question, Thomas could feel the millions of queries he had yet to ask boiling under the surface.   
He'd always suspected he was a curious bugger, and the buzzing excitement he felt over his questions being answered just further proved his suspicions.   
Newt nods, as if he wasn't at all surprised that this was the question he chose, who would be really.

"This is a panic room, abandoned when Alby and I first found it.   
It was used for old war zones, they would evacuate civilians from the city into underground rooms like this.  
But now it's our home, Alby named it the glade, which I think is ridiculous, I mean do you see any grass fields?"   
Newt chuckles to himself, his voice remaining soft in the quiet and calm atmosphere. 

Thomas turned the information over and over in his head.  
"So you and Alby are uh... the leaders here?"  
Newt smiles Bowing his head to his fidgeting hands.  
"More or less, Alby's the real leader round here, you can call me second in command if you like"  
He mutters slowly, the red and orange glow emanating from the hanging lamp casts hypnotising silhouettes across the blonds hair, giving it a golden quality that Thomas couldn't lift his eyes from.

"What... uh... what exactly do you do here?" Thomas had been practically bursting at the seams to just scream at someone 'what the hell is going on?!',  
But obviously that would make him look insane so he wouldn't dare to.  
Since he'd met the odd boy and his strangely assembled family, he'd wracked his brain for an explanation, anything that would shed some light on the incomprehensible situation he had found his way into, but he'd drawn a resounding blank.

His companion pushes a pale hand through his golden hair, ruffling it up.  
The image of a baby duckling appears suddenly in his mind.  
"We're messengers, in the simplest terms. We get hired to do mail jobs for private people and they pay us in cash"  
Thomas nods thoughtfully.   
Made sense.

"Is that what you were doing when we met? That's what the package was about?"

Newt chuckles.  
"Yeah that's what I was doing, and what about you? what were you doing?"  
Thomas could feel a prickling heat rise to his cheeks.  
When he was alone as he often was, he felt no shame towards what he did, maybe deep down he blamed them all for what had become of him.   
But now under the watchful eyes of another, his guilt returned full force.

"I was uh... stealing food.."

He mumbles noncommittally, his eyes trained on the blonds brown jeans, becoming engrossed with a strange rip residing close to his knee. He half hoped the boy didn't hear his confession at all. 

A burst of laughter erupts from the blond boy, Thomas looks up quickly to see his companion in a fit, an arm clutching his side as he shakes with the force of it. After a few confusing minutes he calms down, his cheeks red with a smile on his face.  
"What... what's so funny?"  
Thomas questions apprehensively, his fingers wringing his wrists in a nervous manner.  
The blond shakes his head slowly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh I just... you.. you have no idea how long I've been looking for you"

Thomas blinks.   
A slow hot swelling fills his chest, constricting his speech and sending shivers up and down his spine.  
"You.... you were looking for me?"  
He recovers enough to convey his confusion.   
Newt furrows his brow, as if the question was an odd one.  
"Yeah of corse we were, you're the last runner, we're complete now because you're here"  
Thomas was shocked.  
Newt continues talking without noticing the gob smacked look gracing Thomas's fine features.   
"And to think you were right there under our noses stealing food from our customers, bloody hilarious"  
Thomas had no idea that he was being searched for, that anyone was looking for him at all.  
That he was needed.

"But why me? I just...I don't understand why you'd be looking for me..."  
His sentence fades to a slow exhale, a barely noticeable loss of words caused by the deep dark eyes that were piercing his own.

A quick movement is all it takes for Newt to be up and out of the suspended bed, a swift grab at Thomas's wrist pulls the brunette out along with him. Thomas stumbles off the hammock, landing against the sturdy chest of his unpredictable companion.  
He could feel the pale boys breath ghosting along his skin, creating goosebumps in its wake.   
Their proximity lasts but a mere second, as he is then promptly dragged along the carpet and back onto the cold cement of the main area.  
"Where are we going?!"  
He yells after Newt who doesn't seem to want to slow down and explain anything to Thomas.   
He receives no answer as they dodge wandering groups and stray chairs, as they speed past a wicker basket residing on a small table stocked with short black torches, Newt snatches one up without slowing a single step.

Once they reach the opposite end of the enormous space Newt begins to slow, an open doorway leading to thick darkness stops Thomas in his tracks causing the blond to have his hand teared away in his continuous motion.   
Thomas did not fear the dark, by all means, but without an explanation for his entering a strange place, there was no way he was going to follow willingly.

"Where are you taking me"  
His uncertainty was revealed in the wavering tone. Newt picks up on it straight away, his determined expression fades to a somewhat softer one as he sees the wariness in Thomas.  
"I'm going to show you why I was searching for you"  
The blond reaches out his hand towards the panting brunette, Thomas hesitates for a second, but eventually relents his own hand and joins them together in a loose hold. 

"Ok"  
Thomas croaks out, his voice had become quite strained from the yelling and the dryness of his throat.  
Newt tightens the grip and pulls him down the dark narrow corridor, flicking on the torch upon entering the cement tunnel.   
The scuffing off their sneakers echoes off the walls creating small dust clouds around their ankles, the light from the torch extends down into the dark, not yet hitting a surface to reveal the end of their journey.  
Thomas was starting to feel a little claustrophobic again, much worse than his trip down the tiny stair space, the knowledge pressing on his mind that he was going deeper and deeper getting father from the exit with each step was inducing fear at an alarming pace.  
His palms start to sweat, a hot panic stricken flush contorts in his chest, his steps faultier in the luminous beam.

"Tommy, calm down were almost there, ok?"

The reassuring whisper shakes him from his downward spiral, he takes a sharp breath and squeezes the blonds small Palm in his own.  
"Ok"  
He manages to whisper back.  
It had been almost four minutes since they started walking through the narrow hall, now Thomas could see a small opening at the end, another old miners lamp hanging from the ceiling of the small room.  
They step inside, Newt continues forward pulling him along until they reach the back wall.  
"This, is why you're here tommy"  
The blond places his hand on the cement, Thomas follows the movement and searches the wall for his promised answer.

What he sees is something he did not expect.

Names.   
The whole wall covered in boys names ranging from short to long carved deep and messily into the stone, each name he noticed had an accompanying star carved next to it, all of them.

except one.

Thomas reaches up his only available hand slowly, tracing the engraved lines of the unmarked name on the wall.  
Newt watches him quietly.

"W-what is this?"

He stares at the stone, his eyes flickering over the capital T and the lower case H.  
It was his name.  
A clear cut THOMAS carved deep into the wall, the elongated curl of the S confirming that the hand writing belonged to himself.   
Thomas searches his mind for any recorded accountability but the memory of the act just wasn't there.  
The empty space where his childhood should have been he'd come to terms with, but seeing this was just too much. 

Unaware of Thomas's hidden turmoil, Newt answers with pride.  
"It's what brought us all together again Tommy, our name sake"  
Newt sounded almost fond of the carvings, tucking the torch under his arm and letting his palm slide slowly down the wall and back to his side.  
Thomas takes a step back from the wall, dropping the blonds hand, a tight feeling rises in his chest, hot and persistent. 

"Th-that's my writing, but I don't remember putting that there, I couldn't have, I'd remember something like this.. why don't I remember!"

Thomas grabs at his hair roughly with his calloused hands, he rubs them down his face while the feeling in his chest grows stronger and sharper.  
Finally seeing the brunettes difficulty in grasping the new information, Newt rushes to his side, he grabs Thomas by the shoulders to steady the panicking boy.  
"Thomas! Thomas look at me, its all right just calm your self, this is normal ok? please just calm down"  
His rising panic suddenly turns to a startling rage, Thomas pushes his palms to Newts chest trying to get him to back off, but the blond just tightens his grip.

"What do you mean normal! I can't remember a thing! you think that's normal?! what's wrong with you?!"

Deep down Thomas knew his anger was irrational and that he shouldn't lash out his crippling fears on the boy who'd done nothing but help him, but the hurt and confusion was uncontrollable, like a fiery furnace burrowed deep in his gut.   
Newt growls out against the boys misguided fury, he pushes Thomas up against the wall dropping the torch with a loud crack, and pins his rampaging arms behind him to stop his violent struggle.  
Newt stares at the brunette, the blonds gaze unwavering in his attempt to keep the boys attention fixed on him, he stands his ground as Thomas gradually calms himself, the steadying boy breaths heavily through his flared nostrils.

Newt leans his face in close, pressing their bodies together in a familiar act to keep the boy still on the stone cold wall.  
"You think you're the only one? none of us remember anything ya shuck face!"   
He rasps out, his breathing matching Thomas's perfectly.

"We're all in the same boat, what you're feeling now I've seen over and over and I can tell ya, you're not unique in that Tommy boy"

Their soft pants fill the following silence as they gaze intently into the others eyes, Thomas calms his temper completely and slumps against the wall closing his heavy eyes.  
"I'm sorry Newt... I... I'm sorry.."  
Thomas speaks softly into the flickering room, eyeing the small dotting of freckles kissed on the tip of Newts nose.

"It's alright, compared to others you've got nothing to be ashamed of, Ive still got teeth marks to prove it"

They both chuckle lightly into each other's space, promptly sensing that any further venture in their closeness would be painfully awkward later, Newt lets go of Thomas's arms and pushes himself back a few paces giving the boy room to move.  
Thomas leans forward off of the wall, rubbing his reddened wrists gingerly.  
His eyes connect with the blonds once again, an intense exchange Thomas had never experienced before in his life, or at least the parts he could remember.

"You... All of you really can't remember anything? but why?"  
Thomas queries, secretly hoping his problem had already been figured out and explained. Newts gaze flits from eye to eye, landing for no longer than a second. 

"We don't know" 

The boy runs his fingers through his hair, a tired expression on his face while he searches quietly for the discarded torch.  
A quiet sigh tells Thomas that the conversation is over, he'd get no more answers tonight, luckily there was always tomorrow.  
Newt moves to hold Thomas's elbow and guides him to the dark hall.

"C'mon, lets get you to bed"

 

 

•••

 

 

A soft murmuring beyond the thin walls pulls Thomas from his shallow slumber, his eyes flutter open at the deep resonance rumbling incoherently with the follow of a softer reply. 

The flickering glow of the miners lamp sets the scene, placing his conscience back into the cramped sleeping quarters of the glade, he had to admit it really was a stupid name. 

The voices sounded again, an unrecognisable noise, but from the hazy sleep muddled knowledge he could gather neither Newt or Alby had managed to find their way to bed, so he could make a pretty educated guess as to whom they belonged to.

Now wide awake Thomas strains his hearing as much as he can, but to little avail, they were too far away.   
Feeling a little antsy he slowly removes one leg from the hammock and places it gently on the floor, the other leg follows just as precariously once he's sure he's got his balance in order.   
Now Thomas knew he wasn't a nosy person by nature, but there was a very high chance that they were talking about him, so he felt it was smart to check it out, what if they had changed their mind and he wasn't who they wanted after all.   
If that was the case he needed to know before he got too comfortable.

Besides, there was no way he could sleep now.

He clambers as quietly as he can up and out of the hammock, stepping softly over strewn about pillows and sleeping figures on the ground. As he moved closer to the doorless arch, he could hear the voices getting louder and louder, leaning his back against the wall, he sneaks a quick peak to determine their position in the main room.

They were sat in old camp chairs, facing away from Thomas and towards the contained fire, a large metal drum with a flickering flame at the centre of their indoor campsite.   
Thomas felt his heart pick up speed, if someone woke up he would have no excuse as to why he was leaning against the wall staring openly at the two boys, they had been very open armed and glad to see him when he first arrived and he didn't want to break their trust already. 

He could see the golden glow of Newts hair as he tipped back his pale neck and gulped down a strange coloured liquid from a thick green glass.   
As Newt turned to look at the boy next to him, his profile was clear in the illuminated room. His features were sharp and his cheeks held a soft pink tinge from his proximity to the fire.

"We can mark his name now"

Newt speaks gently, shaking Thomas out of his reverie. Alby turns to the blond, a small snicker falling from his mouth.  
"Yea, I guess so" he says with unprecedented amusement.   
Newt straightens up in his chair, looking his companion oddly in the eye.  
"You don't think we should?"  
Thomas could hear the off strain in his voice, before his sudden inclusion in the tight knit group he hadn't had much human interaction, in his misadventures much of what he did required him to be invisible.   
But he didn't need to be a physiatrist to see that Newt was becoming uncomfortable.

"Does it matter what I think?"  
They turned to one another, Newt splutters indignantly and shoves his elbow into Alby's arm.   
"Of corse it matters!" Newt shakes his head, muttering a short and sweet 'unbelievable' under his breath. Alby chuckles unashamedly at the blonds reaction.   
"Alright, so it matters"   
He says with a smile directed at his comrade, Newt looks back, squinting suspiciously.   
Thomas could sense a continuation to the statement approaching.

"But would it change anything?"

A thick silence follows, some line must have been crossed for Newt to shut down so quickly.   
The blond stared pointedly at the floor, refusing to meet his friends eyes.

"What are you saying?"

Newt finally speaks,   
breaking the silence should have eased the tension a little in his opinion, but the comment seemed to make the atmosphere even more intolerable.

"All I'm saying is you're a little eager to seal the deal that's all" Alby reaches for his own glass resting on the concrete and takes a long swallow. 

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about"

Newt uttered in an almost disinterested tone, this was not exactly what Thomas was hoping to hear, he didn't know what he expected but it certainly wasn't this.

Alby puts down his glass and leans back in his chair with a pleasant sigh.  
"Ok, I believe you"  
Newts eyes widen as he does a double take of his calm companion.  
"You.. you believe me?"   
He stutters out in amused disbelief. "Since when did you give in so easily? who are you and what have you you done with my shuck friend?" The blond shook his head slowly, his slight chuckle scarcely covering the hesitant hitch in his speech. 

Thomas sensed his intrusion on their conversation probably wasn't the best idea after all.

A short silence followed, Thomas could see Newt steadily giving in.

"Alby I just..."

Newt lowers his head, bringing his forefinger and thumb to the narrow bridge of his nose, rubbing gently.  
"I just want this to be over, no I... I need it to be over"  
He sighs out his pent up unease, rolling his shoulders the blond leans back heavily in his chair.  
"I just.. I need him to be it y'know?"  
Alby stares sympathetically at his troubled friend, a haunted look screaming silently.  
"I know"

The scene before him was starting to feel a little too private to continue watching, he wasn't going to gain anything from staying any longer.

Thomas slowly makes his way through the flickering dark, being carful of his sleeping bunk mates and rolls himself precariously into his shaky hammock.  
A quick look at his watch tells him it was only two hours away from sunrise, he hoped they weren't the 'rise and shine' or the 'earlier the better' types. 

Thomas closes his eyes, wishing quietly to himself that Newt's investment in him wasn't a huge mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed the second chapter, please comment your thoughts whatever they may be :)


	3. Fresh meat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I apologise for the very very late update, I don't have a good excuse so I won't bother with one, I hope this chapter will suffice thank you for reading :)
> 
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A rough hand covering his mouth disturbs Thomas from his slumber.

A musty scent ensnares his senses, shooting his eyes wide open and causing a prickling anxiety to shoot through his chest.  
As soon as he realises what's happening he darts his eyes around in the moving obsidian and struggles to shake the hand off, his stifled breath coming out in harsh gasps through his flared nostrils.

"Be quiet, don't scream"

A calm rough voice orders in the dark.  
Thomas immediately recognises the corse whisper as Newts nightly companion, his eyes adjust and he sees the unimpressed scowl of the dark skinned boy.  
Thomas eyes the boy, his sight never leaving the dark outline of the intruders face, he could feel the heaving of his chest in his struggle to keep as calm as his awakener sounded.  
Alby furrows his brows even more, an entirely possible thing despite Thomas's inner objection.

"Are you awake?"

The boy asks, Thomas wished he could throw a few sarcastic curses his way, if it wasn't for the large hand blocking his blasphemous language he'd be able to do so with great malice, but because the hand didn't seem to be removing itself until he answered, he settled for an intense glare.

Fortunately Alby got the picture.  
"Explanations later, Get up quick before the others do greenie" 

He speaks firmly to the restrained boy.  
Thomas ignores the strange nickname in favour of trying his best not to freak out.  
The hand is removed and Thomas takes a deep breath past his dry lips, his head reeling from the fright.

"You coming greenie?"  
The deep voice prods, Thomas still a little shaken nods his head and slowly sits up, he rubs his brow and stands up from the unstable hammock.  
He loses his balance but quickly recovers with the help of a strong hand grabbing his shoulder just in time to keep him from tipping over.  
Thomas looks to the boy and nods his thanks sheepishly.  
Alby lets him go and turns to walk out the door, only just sparing Thomas a beckoning gesture over his shoulder. 

He couldn't help but feel this was strange, if he had the mind to predict anything at all, he would have been assuming he'd wake to the blond British boy gently shaking him, or even being awoken by the stirring of others.  
He did not entertain the thought of Alby acknowledging him much at all after their introduction proved his disinterest in him.

Thomas steps over the still motionless bodies and follows Alby out the door, watching him turn left down the corridor and into the main area.  
Now that it was lighter Thomas could see clearly just how big it was, tall blue walls that were maybe a walking distance of two to three metres apart.  
"Why is it so big?" He hears himself ask, the stern boy spares him a glance not bothering to stop. 

"No questions till after the tour"

Thomas promptly shuts his mouth.  
At least he now knew he was on a tour at least, that information would have been helpful.  
As he followed the stern boy he observed that the room was still under refurbishment, the ground that was mostly grey cement, also had the odd patch of green carpeting.  
But now that he was taking a proper look around, his eyes caught the most bizarre element that was scattered everywhere he looked.

"What's with all the pot plants?"

The question slips out before he can stop it, his guide stops in his tracks. A slow turn of his head has Thomas taking a couple steps back, the dark boy huffs out a laugh and keeps walking forward, leaving the startled and slightly confused newbie behind.

Alby turns his head to look at Thomas, seeing his uncomfortably awkward expression he turns to face him, scratching the back of his neck lightly.

"C'mon I don't bite, just... no more questions till after ok?" 

Thomas nods frantically still worried for his safety, Alby turns again and continues forward.  
It hadn't even been twenty four hours yet and he'd been threatened twice, must be his birthday.  
After a few minutes they reach another doorway, but much like the sleeping quarters it was devoid of an actual door.  
Maybe they didn't like doors.  
He'd have understood if that were true, if it weren't for doors his previous hobby would have been a piece of cake.

Wafts of delicious scented air sneaks into Thomas's nostrils, telling him that his first stop had food, perhaps it was a cafeteria.  
The large amount of space the glade possessed seemed to be endless, so it wouldn't shock him in the slightest if there was room for what he was picturing. 

The smell of what could have been bacon awoke his stomach, making its needs known with a deep growl.  
Once they reach the end of the hallway, it opens up to another large room, around the same size as the sleeping quarters he observes, at least four straight rows of white tables accompanied with white chairs stretch down the space, his initial guess confirmed by the sight that it was in fact a cafeteria.

The wall closest to them opens inwards into another much smaller room where he could see over the high metal counter was home to three large fridges and a couple of stove tops and ovens.

Thomas's attention is brought back to the dark boy by the wave of his arm.  
"This is the cafeteria, we eat here three meals a day same times everyday, if you're late for a meal then you will have no meal, got it?"  
Thomas nods his understanding, seemed a little harsh but what did he know about order, he ate when he wanted or when he could, nothing about it was orderly.  
Alby halts at the long metal counter, turning to face Thomas.  
"This is the kitchen, it is off limits to greenies and shanks who haven't been sent by me or Newt"

Thomas nods absently, a loud clutter coming from behind the counter out of sight distracts the two boys. Alby chuckles under his breath.  
"And that shucking cluts is our cook frypan, I suggest not touching the food before it's ready, there's a chance you could lose a finger"  
An indignant huff sounds in the distance.  
"A definite chance!"  
Alby chuckles again, bringing his palm up to clasp Thomas's shoulder tightly and tuning him back towards the door.

They walk silently back down the hall towards the main area, as Thomas gradually approached the space he could see that a few of the other residents had awoken and were walking around, they didn't seem to do much other than that.

As they finally reach their destination, Alby does an about turn and continues their journey backwards, now facing a confused Thomas.  
"Now I can tell you're dying to ask me a load of questions" Thomas stares back at Alby, waiting patiently for the catch.  
"But I hate answering questions, so chuck, the newbie you replaced, will answer for me, and he'll show you the rest of the glade too, ok?"

There it was.

Alby turns to walk away from the stunned boy but is promptly stopped by Thomas's strong hand on his arm.  
"Wait! who's chuck?"  
Albys mild annoyance drains away into that of mocking amusement.  
"You'll know soon enough"  
The leader peers over Thomas's shoulder, a slow grin bringing back the playfulness to his demeanour.

"Speak of the devil, here he comes now"  
Thomas turns around to see a curly haired brunette walking towards him with a huge toothy grin on his face.  
Thomas's mood crumples a little at the sight.  
It was a kid, like a kid kid. Laughter sounded again behind him, he swivels his head to see the teasing bastard walk away still chuckling to himself.

It was cool, Thomas could deal with a kid, he'd been a kid once after all, how hard could it be? he tried not to dwell on the fact that this large chunk of his life was unbeknown to him. 

The kid, Chuck, stopped in front of him, his cheeks bright red and a shy smile on his face, he held out his hand.  
"Hey, I'm Chuck"  
Thomas not wanting to be rude decides to indulge the kid and meets the boys raised hand with his own.

"Thomas"

He pulls his hand back and shoves both of them into his pants pockets, Thomas looks to his dirty shoes wondering to himself where Newt was, and why the hell he wasn't here.

"It's great to finally be replaced, I hate being the greenie, its already hard enough being twelve and living with a bunch of teenagers, they smell so bad it's unbelievable, and showers don't help"  
The kid enacts a full body shiver as if reliving a painful memory.

Surprised by the young boy Thomas chuckles at the immediate topic of pubescent boys and their odour troubles.  
The positive response has Chuck practically glowing, his large cheeks growing redder by the second.

"So I'm supposed to show you around, what have you seen so far?"

They begin a slow aimless walk, Chuck looks up at Thomas expectedly, Thomas couldn't help but picture a chipmunk with its cheeks full of acorns at the sight.

The relations he was making recently with humans and their animal counterparts was starting to creep him out.

"Well I saw the cafeteria, but that's it"  
The giant room he noticed had started to fill up with more and more drowsy boys, most wondering towards the cafeteria with low yawns and arm stretches.  
He couldn't see the blond boy anywhere, and for some reason that bothered him.

"Well there isn't much left to see, I'm sure you know where the bathroom is by now"  
Thomas recalled the night before, his blond friend pointing out little things on their trek back to the sleeping area, if he remembered correctly the toilets and the showers were right across from the bedroom.  
"Yeah"  
He mutters nonchalantly, his mind elsewhere. Thomas continued to search the growing crowd for the blond runner,  
He could feel the eyes of the other runners on him, watching him.  
It made him feel like an apple pie sitting on an open window sill, chuck seemed to notice as well as the kid shifted his eyes around pretending not to see them staring, they continue to walk slowly across the room without a destination in mind.

Suddenly a flash of gold enters Thomas's vision, but just as quickly as it appears it vanishes down a nearby corridor, Thomas follows the movement with his wide eyes, slowly facing the direction in which it left his eye line, turning himself around in the opposite direction.

Thomas grabs Chuck's shoulder and swivels the kid around, the boy only yelps a little until he sees Thomas pointing at a hallway.

"I want to go in there"

Thomas states without looking back at Chuck, his eyes stay glued to the doorless frame, as if just the act of looking away for even a second would cause the opening to disappear. 

"You want to go in there? why?"  
The curly haired boy asks, his soft brown eyes trained on the same doorless arch Thomas had his sights set on.  
"I just want to check it out, come on"  
He hoped he didn't have to wait for the kid to tag along, he had no need for a tour guide where he was headed.  
Chuck could see Thomas getting ready to walk to the opening, his face the essence of determination.

"Wait! you can't, that's the meeting room, only members of the board are allowed in there"  
Chuck grabs Thomas's arm, stopping the older boy from going any further.

"You don't have to follow me"

Thomas shakes off the kid and starts walking towards the opening Newt disappeared into, he could hear Chuck calling after him but remaining where he was, Thomas quietly thanked God for that, he didn't want to get the kid into any trouble if that's what was waiting for him on the other side.

When Thomas reached the arch he walked down the hall and found himself in a surprisingly small room.  
Compared to the others he'd seen he never thought small was a possibility here.  
Observing the contents of the room he found it to be completely devoid of anyone, which was weird because he was positive he saw Newt walk in here just a few moments ago.

Furnishings however, it was full of.  
Framed maps covered almost every inch of the walls, a large round table that took up most of the space, sitting obesely in the centre of the room surrounded by a matching chair set.  
Guess this was where the pocket money was spent.  
Atop the mahogany table there sat a miniature maze, studying it closer he discovered that it was made completely out of match sticks, tiny yellow and red splinters stacked at least ten high to create the walls elevated from its resting place.

It was magnificent.

He couldn't imagine how long it took to build it, or the purpose for it, but from the way it was displayed there was no doubt in his mind that it was important.

"Thomas! you can't be in here you'll get in trouble!"

A voice coming from behind whispers harshly into the other wise silent room, making the noise seem louder than it really was.  
He turns around to see a bright red, sweating Chuck, standing stiffly and shifting his eyes from corner to corner in a paranoid manner.  
Thomas sighs, he told him not to follow for a reason but what was the point if he was going to ignore him?

"I was prepared for that! but now you're gonna get into trouble too!"

Thomas whispers back, Chuck shifts his gaze from the walls to Thomas, his eyebrows raise in realisation of the circumstance he'd just thrown himself into.  
An embarrassed chuckle falls from his mouth.

"Oops"

Thomas sighs again in frustration, rubbing his forehead with his calloused hand.  
"Just get out of here Chuck, it was my idea to come here if we get caught I don't want you taking the fall with me"  
He relays to the boy as dramatically as he can.  
He was pretty sure the consequences wouldn't be that bad, but if the added bonus of creating a scene was shaking the kid then he had to do what he had to do.

The curly haired boys expression conveys his conflicted feeling about the situation as he continues to scan the room, he looks to the right of him, staring quietly at the only door in the glade.  
A door Thomas hadn't noticed before, it seemed an odd concept now that he was used to the open rooms, a no privacy way of living, it didn't seem all that bad to him, especially since they were all boys with no shame to speak of probably.

The door spoke volumes, there was something behind it that they didn't want to be seen.  
That fact alone made finding out what was behind it the only thing in the world he ever wanted.

Ignoring the fidgeting kid, Thomas slowly approaches the door, stepping quietly on the embroidered rug.  
Now that he was closer he could hear a faint noise coming from the room behind, it didn't sound like any kind of words in his opinion, but it was most certainly a voice.

"Thomas Cmon man, we can't be here! We can't break the rules! Thomas!"

Chuck whispers to the tall brunette desperately, but he didn't move to stop him, Chuck was frozen on the rug, a pleading frightened look in his eyes.  
Thomas continued to ignore the boy in favour of standing two inches in front of the door, slowly reaching up his left hand towards the handle.

"Fine! I don't care anymore I'm leaving, but don't say I didn't warn you"

Thomas could hear the kid walking back down the hallway, away from the drama he was about to unleash.  
It was probably for the best, he'd apologise for being a jerk later.

Right now he had a door to open.

Thomas takes in a deep breath, attempting to steady the pounding in his chest.  
He grips the smooth metal handle lightly and slowly turns the knob.  
A small clack signifies its opening, pushing the wood carefully inwards, he cranes his neck to see what's behind.  
The first thing he spots, are steps.

Well that was anti climatic.

The staircase was straight and steep, grey in colour much like the cement floors, as if they were but an extension of the cold ground.  
Suddenly a pained groan floats down the stairs, a cracked moan followed by broken sobs and the loud bang of assaulted wood.  
Thomas stops in his tracks, his wide eyes glued to the ground. Whatever was happening at the end of those cement steps, it wasn't good.

He swallows down his nerves, his throat dry from the dust billowing around him, Thomas takes the first step.

He slowly climbs the stairs, the rough crazed moans continue their assault on his burning ears, progressively growing louder the more steps he took.  
Finally a clearing comes into view, a few more steps from his position, the cries for help were at their vocal point as he stood frozen solid, staring helplessly at the pale writhing boy on the tall bed.

A sight he would never un see. 

The boy was in agony, an expression of pure unadulterated pain made his cries that much more haunting, but that wasn't the most scaring sight at all.  
His shirtless torso exposed a black mottled bruise contorted with thick blue veins, red bleeding welts littering his pale body like infected wasp stings.  
He thrashed violently against the two boys holding him down by his skinny arms, boys he had not yet acknowledged.

Thomas couldn't look away from the nightmare in front of him.

"Thomas?!"

A familiar voice calls to him through his shell shocked state, he shifts his gaze from the sick boy and searches for the one who called his name.  
His eyes meet those of his British friend, Thomas sees the confusion and buried pain in his dark brown orbs.

"Thomas get out of here!"

Newt screams at him over the constant howling that shakes Thomas to the bone.  
He blinks hard, willing himself to come back to reality.

"Now Thomas!"

At those words Thomas stumbles back the way he came, refusing to turn around to see the unbridled anger that took over the blonds calm demeanour.  
He races down the stairs, his feet hitting hard against the cement. Once he reaches the bottom he wrenches the door open and slams it closed behind him.

Thomas collapses backwards onto the door, his breath coming out hard and fast to match the beating in his chest.

"Shit"

He breaths out, Thomas closes his eyes for a second, the image of the grotesque figure writhing on the bed has him snapping them wide open instantly.  
What the hell was that, he'd never in his life seen a sickness like that.  
He runs his palms down his face, taking his time to rub harshly at his eyes. 

The quiet was relieving, even if he could still hear the echo of screams circling in his head like a broken record.  
All that pain, it was unimaginable.

After a few minutes a small knock breaks him from his trance, Thomas looks around the room for the cause of the noise, the knock sounds again a little louder behind him.  
He leans off the door and turns to it, he was prepared for the beat down, or he thought he was, now he wasn't so sure he could handle it after what he just saw, wasn't that punishment enough?

Exhaling deeply he reaches for the knob and unlatches the door, he lets it swing wide to reveal Newt, his eyes burn through Thomas with an intensity that went beyond what he'd feared, but the boy remained silent.

Thomas looks to the floor in shame, this was the last thing he wanted, for the blond to hate him it was unthinkable.  
Newt steps forward, causing Thomas to recoil in the same manner, The blond runner closes the door behind him.

"How much did you see?"

Newt speaks softly, crossing his arms over his chest, he stares openly at the shaken brunette, pinning Thomas to his  
spot in the room.  
Thomas stares back.

"Enough"

Newt nods and shifts in his spot.  
"Are you ok?"  
Thomas calms a little at the sincere concern, he continues to stare at Newt who returns the look willingly.  
"Yeah I'm ok"  
A silence falls over them, he wasn't sure if he wanted answers anymore.  
Newt sighs deeply, rubbing the back of his neck as he scans the brunette.

"His names ben, he came back from a mission a few nights ago, he's been like that ever since"

Newt finally speaks, a sour expression on his face. Thomas blinks, his gut ached as he remembered the state the boy was in.  
"What happened?"  
Thomas couldn't look away from Newt, his hardened demeanour that used to be so bright and exciting, it was difficult to make the connection between the two sides, that this morose boy was in fact the same person who tackled him to the floor that night in the suite.  
Newt slowly shifts his eyes back to Thomas's wide innocent gaze. 

"We don't know"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed chapter 3 please comment your thoughts on my work whatever they may be :)


	4. Small changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I'm sorry for the long wait, this chapter is quite short compared to the others but I wanted to get up what I had as soon as possible, I hope you enjoy, there will be more to come eventually :)

"Whos that tall guy that looks like a bull dog?"

Thomas was sat rather comfortably in an old camp chair a ways from the morning fire, he'd subtly dragged a chair away from the circle of lounging teens to sit further from the flickering flame, the proximity was too hot for him so his separation from the group was expected.

Newt joining him however was not.

"Who Gally? what about him?"  
Newt spoke after a minute, as he was in the middle of consuming a mouthful of scrambled eggs.   
After the incident Newt had lead him to the cafeteria for a hearty meal of eggs and bacon, which was where he also discovered that his food stash had been riffled through by the blond, and promptly retrieved while he was sleeping to give to the cook.  
He wasn't too upset about it because to be honest he'd forgotten about the food completely. 

Thomas had finished his portion quite quickly, as he was still in the habit of a hurried meal and a swift position change, he was glad to be finally rid of the later, as he sat perfectly still once the plate was empty.

"I've caught him staring at me more than a few times, I don't like it"  
Thomas states with clear distaste, he observes the circle of conversing boys in front of him, eventually finding the buz cut army brat shoving a guy playfully in the arm and proceeding to laugh.  
From afar he didn't look so bad, the tall boy conversed sociably with the others like it was routine, which it probably was.   
A quick glance his way with a questioning arch of his brow stops Thomas from watching any further.   
He refused to be as shameless as Gally and keep staring till one of them walked out of sight, no way that was going to be him.  
A chuckle beside him grabs his attention, Thomas turns to his left to catch a glimpse of a grinning Newt.

"Shuck Tommy tell me how you really feel, don't worry 'bout him he's like this to all the new greenies, it'll blow over eventually, not saying he'll be any more pleasant mind you"  
Newt smiles at the pouting boy, finding it hard to muster anything less than pure amusement.

Thomas noticed his mood had changed notably compared to the brooding blond in the meeting room, Thomas didn't want to see that side of him again any time soon.  
"Why do you all keep saying that?"  
Thomas wonders aloud, his eyes trained on the blonds deep brown ones that hadn't left his own.  
Newt furrows his brow.  
"What do you mean?"  
He says with a tilt of his head.  
Thomas's surroundings flickered in and out of his vision in a warm haze, but Newts face remained the focal point.

He licks his dry lips.  
"Those substitutes you use, y'know, shank, shuck, I think I heard a slinthead? haven't got the faintest clue about that one"  
Breaking the eye contact, Thomas reaches for his glass on the ground and takes a sip, he wasn't prepared to question the drinks contents just yet, for now holding back the urge to gag from the strong taste would be enough to worry about.   
Despite turning his back he knew the boy was still watching his every move, it didn't strike him as annoying as it did when that Gally guy was behind the pointed looks, but he wasn't too concerned about the meaning behind that little snippet of information.

As the brunette stumbles through the foreign words, Newt nods in understanding, placing his half empty plastic plate on the cement, he leans back heavily in his rocking chair, eliciting a few creaks along with the motion. 

"We've got a twelve year old running around so curses are a big no, Ably'd have a fit if he caught one of us swearing"

Thomas thinks about Newts answer for a minute, his brow furrowing in confusion, finally he comes to the conclusion that this aversion method they'd come up with was completely stupid.

"Isn't replacing those words with ones that sound just like it kind of defeating the purpose?"

Newt chuckles quietly in the warm rays spotlighting him from the high rectangle panes, his lips curling up in a small smirk.  
"Probably, Chuck may be a lot of things but stupid isn't one of them"  
He says in between the little joyful bursts.

Thomas knew he was staring.

But for some reason it made sense to stare, where else was he going to look? he remembered enough to know that looking at the person talking was polite, it just so happened that Thomas could go above and beyond the standard for politeness.  
Made perfect sense.

"What happened to your leg?"

He says finally, seeing that Newt had nothing left to add.  
The blond freezes, stopping his reach for his glass on the ground for only a second, barely enough time for anyone to notice the hesitation.  
But Thomas noticed.

"What do you mean?"  
The tone was starting to sound familiar, a slight waver in an otherwise water tight facade.  
Thomas almost regretted asking, but that small tickling in the back of his brain pleaded with him to continue.  
"You limp a little when you walk sometimes"

Newt scoffed at the boy with a weak smirk, running his long bony fingers through his hair he sits back in his seat, drink in hand.  
"You been watching me walk tommy?"  
The boy asks, Thomas should have taken the hint, should have apologised and changed the subject.  
But he didn't.

"Sometimes"

He mutters finally after a lengthy silence, the previous amusement that Newt had entertained faded quite suddenly, leaving him a stoic boy, sitting motionless in his cushioned rocking chair. 

"Well don't worry about it, it's a boring story"  
The blond forces out, his dark eyes trained on the cold hard ground, Thomas continued to watch, fascinated by every little move and twitch the boy made.

"How does it end?"  
He asks in a disinterested tone, maybe if he pretended not to care Newt wouldn't feel so uncomfortable, didn't seem likely but Thomas was willing to try anyway.

Newt finally looks back at Thomas after his unintelligent comment, the boys lips quirk into a tiny smile.  
"With me having a bloody limp obviously"

Thomas smiles to himself.  
"If you don't wanna talk about it that's fine, just thought I'd ask"  
He says calmly, relenting his stubbornness in favour of pursuing the smile reaching the blonds eyes. 

"Yeah yeah I got it, seriously don't worry about it it's nothing"   
Thomas nods and turns his face forward.

The rowdiness of the circle in front of them suddenly escalates as one of the boys with long blond hair decides its a good idea to braid it and ask his companions if they would take him to the ball.  
They both chuckle at the scene of the two boys waltzing sloppily around the metal drum, as the other twenty odd boys wolf whistle and chorus an off tune ditty to keep them going.

Thomas was glad to see them enjoying themselves, he'd found it hard at first to accept his situation, still was to be honest, but maybe after all his wallowing in self pity, the key to moving on was having someone beside you doing the same.

"So when do I get to go out on a job?"  
Thomas speaks, elevating his voice a notch to be heard over the commotion. 

Newt turns to the brunette, seeing that Thomas was still looking ahead, he smiles.  
"Whenever you want Tommy"

Thomas snaps his head in Newts direction, seeing the mock serious expression on his pale face and falling for it without a hint of suspicion.   
"Really?"

Hearing the completely serious answer from the innocent looking boy Newt ducks his head, a grin threatens him behind his straw blond fringe.

"No"

Thomas sighs with a small smile, collapsing back in his camp chair.  
"Is there some kind of ritual I have to do, like in the Boy Scouts?"  
He inquires, another odd thing he'd somehow remembered, Boy Scouts existed, no matter how ridiculous and made up it sounded.   
"Were you in the Boy Scouts tommy?"  
Newt mocks beside him, casually sipping his drink.

Thomas scoffs.  
"If I was they were rubbish, I couldn't tie a knot if my life depended on it"

Thomas was almost sure this situation would never occur, but it didn't really matter anyway, his knots were rubbish.  
Newt chuckled lightly, staring straight ahead at the bright and warm fire.  
"Nah it's nothing like that, Alby just takes time to wear down, to be honest I think he just likes to see if he can make a greenie crack with the wait, to see their mental strength y'know?"

Thomas pictures a bunch of stir crazy greenies climbing up the walls with Alby watching happily, a little drink with an umbrella in his hand.  
His face screws up at the thought, that would be really nuts.  
"Does that make him a sadist?"  
Thomas searches Newts profile, the light from the wild fire casting shadows under the boys high cheekbones, accentuating them subtly.  
There was something there that made this strange boy endlessly interesting, like if he missed a single detail a universe would pass him by.   
This all felt true but Thomas couldn't for the life of him understand why.

Newt turns to Thomas, noticing that he was already being watched, but made no move to call him out on it.   
"Corse not, it makes him a leader"  
Newt speaks softly, his conviction strong and without any sense of doubt.   
Thomas could feel the trust Newt harboured for Alby below the boys simple statement.

"Right, corse"  
Thomas says distractedly, he felt in his opinion he was slowly beginning to understand, but there were so many things that still made no sense, why no one remembers anything of their past, the maze in the meeting room.  
The sickness.  
He hungered for answers.

A loud creak behind Thomas distracts him from his thoughts, he turns around curiously to see a tan, dark haired boy walking down the stairwell and into the glade.

The boy seemed different than the rest, an air of maturity surrounded him that was unlike the others, the tan boy jogged right past without sparing a single glance in their direction, and ran into the meeting room, Thomas followed the boy with his eyes, slowly moving his head to keep him in sight until the boy disappeared down the hall.

"That's Minho"

Thomas jumps a little at the voice, Leaning over the back of the rocking chair Newt rests his head on his arms, his eyes trained on Thomas.

"He's our best runner, works the hardest y'see, no one wants answers more than him, though I'm betting you're gonna give him a run for his money"

Thomas takes another quick glance at the hallway that the newcomer disappeared down.  
"What do you mean?"

Drink in hand Newt shifts his position to sit a little more comfortably, he makes sure to continue to face Thomas and his incredulous looks that for whatever reason we're the funniest things he'd ever seen.  
"You're a curious guy, Minho was never as curious as you, more angry than anything"  
The blond speaks, Thomas furrows his brow, creating his original look perfectly.   
"Why was he angry?"

Thomas turns his chest towards Newt and tucks in his legs to mirror the blonds position.  
Newt chuckles, they must've looked a picture right about now, facing each other like long lost pals, but after all there was always the possibility, that this was exactly the case.  
"Why do you think? whatever happened to us was no accident, that's for sure. Without answers for something so bizarre as this, a person can go a little bonkers, I'm surprised we got to him before he did something terrible with all those hateful emotions he had bottled up" Thomas nods his understanding, his face suddenly takes another turn of confusion that Newt notices right away.

"But how did you know it was him? if none of you remember anything how did you get back here? if we're assuming that this was originally our home before the shit hit the fan, how are we here again?"  
Thomas says, once he realises what word had slipped, he shifts his eyes around the room rigidly searching for the strict leader and his proximity to them. 

Newt snorts his amusement beneath his hand.  
"It was Alby, he found the place by accident, says he was out explorin' and just tripped and fell right into it, he found the panic room, the wall, the documents, the maze, put two and two together and went off to find the rest of us"

The brunette stops his paranoid search and looks to the pale blond boy beside him. The second in command.  
"You were the first he found, right?"

Newt nods.  
"That's right, found me in a public library he did, great place for a nap if you don't get caught lookin' homeless, he'd seen my file and convinced me to go with him, and that's all she wrote"

Thomas relays his confusion with a slight narrow of his dark eyes.  
"File? what file?"  
He asks, there had been no mention of a file before.  
"All the runners have a file, describing them, there's usually a photo of some kind that goes along with it, were still not exactly sure why we have them, but I try not to question it, if it weren't for them I wouldn't be here"  
The blond supplies, his body still facing the brunette.

"Can I see my file?"

Thomas asks with painful curiosity, Newt could see the quiet intensity burrowed beneath the surface.  
"You never had one Tommy, that's why it took so long to find you, all we had was your name, which was proof enough that you belonged here, all we had to do was find the right Thomas"  
Newt states plainly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Thomas blinks thoughtfully.   
"What if I'm not the right Thomas?"  
His voice is soft in the flickering dark, it didn't seem like it would get any lighter than the consistently moving shadows of yellow and orange, colours that painted Thomas's pained face with warmth.  
Newt watches him silently for a moment, soaking the image into his subconscious.

"I'd stake my life on the fact that you are"

He speaks in a mirrored tone, keeping a fixed gaze on the slowly relaxing boy beside him who returns the look in every way.  
A prickling heat works its way up the blonds neck, a foreign reaction that startles him, Newt clears his throat and turns away from Thomas and his intense eyes, defusing the odd tension he speaks again.  
"Besides, if you're not you can still call this place home, us gladers we don't abandon family, and you're family now Tommy"

A loud crack echos through the room, bouncing off the stone walls and hitting everyone's ears causing a collective silence within seconds.

"The hell..."

Newt begins but is promptly silenced by several other cracks and bangs approaching steadily to the spooked group, most of the gladers were now standing and looking around the room for the cause but without the will to find it. A panicked yell followed the onslaught of battered wood and the scrape of metal on stone.

"STOP!!"

The voice screamed, ripping through the calm atmosphere and stopping everyone in their tracks. Thomas could hear running, clumsy footsteps bounding towards them.  
It was coming from the maze room.

"It's coming from the meeting room!"  
A boy speaks reading his mind, a frightened look in his eyes, they all turn to the opening that lead to the room and right on cue, a pained growl emanates from it like it was harbouring a blood thirsty animal.

Thomas stands from his chair abruptly and steps backwards out of pure fear, his heart beats menacingly in his chest as he slowly steps backwards.  
A sudden tight grip on his elbow gives Thomas a fright, he quickly turns to see a disturbed Newt beside him, the grip tightens as more and more erratic sounds echo around the glade in chaotic batters.

The blond swallows thickly, eyeing the sinister hall warily.  
"It's Ben"  
Newt whispers.


End file.
